A wide variety of flowable solid materials are regularly stored and shipped in large containers. The term "flowable solid materials" and variants thereof, in this context, is meant to refer to any solid, particulate, material which can flow, for example, under the influence of gravity. Such materials include, for example: finely granulated pesticides and insecticides; seed material such as corn; foodstuffs such as various grains; synthetic plastic pellets and granules and, various mineral products.
Flowable particulates are often shipped and/or stored in large containers. A wide variety of large shipping and storage containers have been used. These include, for example: barrels; large plastic bags stored within barrels; large cartons; large plastic bags positioned within cartons; large flexible sacks made of various fabrics, plastics, paper materials, or laminates; and, boxes of wood, fiberboard, plastic or laminates.
The principles of the present invention generally relate to arrangements for facilitating the dispensing of solid materials from various storage containers. Problems generally addressed by arrangements according to the present invention, will be understood by first considering a conventional storage system using a flexible plastic bag containing flowable solids material, stored within a large carton.
Consider for example a seed corn delivery involving storage of the seed corn within a flexible plastic bag, the flexible plastic bag being shipped contained within a large plastic or cardboard shipping container. A typical container or box might be on the order of about four to five feet deep, and three to five feet square. Such a container might hold, for example, 2000 pounds of flowable seed corn.
Such a container would typically be shipped stored upon a forklift pallet or the like. When delivered to a farm or farm supply, it would be offloaded from the truck or railroad train using a forklift. A problem then remains as to how to dispense the particulate material from within the container.
One possible system is to open up the top of the container and remove the solid particulate material through the open top. The present invention concerns alternatives to such systems, for avoidance of the equipment and inconvenience associated therewith and to enhance safety.
In some systems a spout may be provided in the bottom of the internal bag and the container. The solid particulate material can be removed through the spout under the influence of gravity. However, at some point, free flow of the solid material will empty the bag, and will require that the box be tipped, in the direction of the spout. Since the container may be rather large, and would involve a substantial weight of material, this tipping cannot be easily controlled or effected. The present invention is intended to avoid conventional gravity systems wherein a tipping of the carton is needed, to obtain convenient pouring of a solids material.